My Heart's Desire
by XBlazingVampire5X
Summary: Tired of always being mistreated by Sonic, Amy decides to run away, after being prompted by Rouge. When Sonic starts to realise that life without Amy isn't as wonderful as he first thought, what could happen now but some sonamy romance? Also KnuxRouge.
1. Mistake

My heart's desire

**This is my very first fanfic, so please be nice! I will try to update as regularly as I can, but school is a pain so no promises. :( **

**Anyway, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer- I do not own any of the Sonic Characters.**

Chapter 1- Mistake

Amy sighed, her long pink quills swinging gently in the breeze. She was sitting in the middle of a forest, and the cool dense green around her was soothing. She needed the comfort. She'd just had yet another argument with Sonic.

_Amy was shopping in Station Square, she needed some more ingredients for her cake-making. She was browsing the stalls outside in the market place, they were always so much cheaper. The people who ran them were short on money and made lovely home grown/made ingredients of a high quality. Amy liked to help them out by buying their products and almost always gave them a tip. The people loved her._

_Amy browsed slowly, taking her time. She needed the best possible ingredients for this cake, it was Cream's birthday cake. Cream was like a little sister to Amy, and she wanted to please her as much as possible. _

_Amy had just finished paying for the flour she would need when a huge robot came crashing down on the stalls. Eggman. Oh wonderful._

_Amy put her goods behind a statue of Sonic (the people loved him so much they made statues of him), and turned to face Eggman's oncoming robot. A giant bird. He's so original, Amy thought sarcastically._

_She knew really that she should just have gone to fetch Sonic, or try to help some people, get them out of harm's way. But she was just really annoyed at the moment. She was trying to do nice things and then Eggman came and ruined it. URGH._

_Amy summoned her upgraded hammer, it had tons of spikes sticking out of it. It was lethal._

_Amy drew her arm back and chucked her hammer with enough force to power a forceful gale, and it made a satisfying dent in the middle of the giant bird. The hammer then fell to the ground, where Amy ran to retrieve it._

_Eggman leaned over the edge of his cockpit and shook his fist at Amy. Amy grinned sweetly, and was then kicked by the giant bird's metal foot. She flew through the air and crashed into a hard, stone building. Rubble crumbled down on top of her as she fell back to the ground. Amy groaned and pushed her way out of the rubble pit, picking up her hammer and tensing herself for another attack._

_She was pulling her arm back for a second blow when she was interrupted._

"_AMY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" _

_Amy dropped her hammer. She knew that voice. He'd come to save her, and the innocent people._

_As always._

Amy paused for a moment, remembering. Sonic had come right when she had looked the worst. No doubt about it, all he'd seen was when she'd been kicked about 20 foot. Heaven forbid that he should see her when she looked good.

Amy kicked a piece of rock and glared for a moment at a gnarled looking tree root. Then she resigned herself to thinking about what had happened next.

_Amy turned around, slowly, not wanting to have to look him in the eyes. But she did, much too soon for her liking, and she was staring right into Sonic's furious green eyes. Despite the obvious hostility Sonic was showing, Amy still felt her heart speed up and bang in her chest._

"_What are you doing?" Sonic repeated._

"_I... I don't know." Amy replied in a whisper. Sonic rubbed his head between two of his fingers. Then he straightened up, and dashed past Amy and towards the robot that had been forgotten for a moment. Amy considered helping him, but all of the previous frustration she'd felt had melted away as soon as Sonic had joined her. So she just stood and watched Sonic fight it instead, feeling scared about what Sonic would soon be saying to her..._

_Amy was so absorbed in her thoughts, she barely even noticed Sonic finish the machine off and laugh at Eggman as he flew away in his Egg Carrier, then come to stand next to her. Sonic had to snap his fingers in front of her face before she came to, and then he just glared at her._

_Amy held out her hand, and Sonic sighed once before dragging her onto his back and speeding away to the pond in the park. Once there, Sonic slid Amy off his back and onto a bench._

"_Sonikku..." Amy began, but Sonic cut her off._

"_What were you thinking of, Amy?" he snapped at her, and Amy flinched._

"_I, I don't know, I just-"_

"_Just what? Just thought that you'd risk your life and the lives of everyone around you?" his voice was rising in volume now, a sure sign of his frustration._

"_No! I was trying to protect them!" Amy cried in reply, her eyes beginning to tear. She hated it when Sonic was mad at her._

_Sonic laughed humourlessly._

"_Yeah, you were trying to protect them. And getting kicked into a building is really gonna cut it, isn't it?"_

_Amy gasped. Of course, he'd seen her get kicked, but not throw her hammer into the machine. He only ever saw the bad things. Never the good things. And Amy was sick of it._

"_I threw my hammer into that machine before you got there! Sure he retaliated but I struck first!"_

_Sonic raised one eyebrow, like he didn't believe a word of it._

"_Why didn't you just come and get me?" he asked._

"_Because who knows what would have happened to those poor people at the stalls if I had! They could have been seriously hurt, even killed!"_

_Sonic shook his head. They would have been fine. And so would you. But instead, you had to try and prove yourself, had to put yourself in danger. And so, you got hurt. Stop trying to prove that you're as good as the rest of us and grow up!"_

_Amy recoiled like he'd slapped her. Tears began to fall rapidly down her cheeks, hot and wet. He'd just gone too far._

"_Is that what you think I'm trying to do? Prove myself? Well you're wrong. I have nothing to prove to you. I was just trying to help! But you can't handle that can you? You always have to be the star, the one in the glory! You can't stand for someone else to be the hero, someone else to save the day. Well you know what, I'm sick of it! Can't you just be grateful to your friends and the people who help you and stop being so selfish?"_

_Amy couldn't bear to stand with him anymore, and she turned away from him and stalked out of the park, her head held high._

Amy sighed again. She'd walked away from Sonic and come here, where she'd sat and cried and thought about everything that had gone wrong that afternoon. Everything she'd said was permanently etched in her mind. _What have I done_? Amy thought to herself. _I love Sonic. Now I can't ever go back._

Amy let out a sorrowful sob. Just then, something cracked in the dark woods around her. Amy froze. She didn't know how far into the woods she was. She didn't know if anyone would hear her scream.

Amy held her breath as the shadow moved, and a figure came out of the gloom. A tall, slim figure. Silver in the sunbeams, with curves and large, bat-like ears.

Rouge.

Oh wonderful.

Amy glared at Rouge as she came into the light, her large eyes curious.

"I thought I heard you wailing," Rouge teased, "What's up, anyways?"

"Nothing" said Amy hotly.

"Hey, hey! Wait a sec! I wasn't gonna taunt you or anything like that! Actually," Rouge looked shifty, "I want to help."

Amy stared at Rouge for several long moments, during which Rouge became very interested in a piece of grass. Eventually, Amy broke the silence.

"You want to help me?"

"Yeah, I do. So, are ya gonna tell me what's up now?"

Amy looked down at the ground, then back up at Rouge. "Yeah, okay. It's Sonic, Rouge. Everytime I try to get closer to him, help him, talk to him, try to do nice things for him, all he does is push me further away. He just spins me the same old line, 'It's too dangerous Amy, you'll get hurt Amy. He just wants all the glory for himself, and I told him so. I bet he hates me now, and I love him Rouge!"

Amy broke off to cry softly. Rouge studied her for a moment, going through all of the possible responses she could give, some less than civil. Eventually, Rouge spoke.

"I know what you could do."

Amy looked up.

"What? Tell me!"

Rouge laughed slightly at Amy's desperation.

"You have to make him realise that he can't live without you. That you are the centre of his universe. And I know exactly how. I'll join you of course."

Amy was confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked the silver bat next to her.

"Run away! Leave that no good hedgehog! Make him feel the pain he's caused you! Then he'll come begging for you to take him back."

Amy stared blankly at Rouge. Run away? From Sonic? Was she insane? How could she leave the one she loved? Amy let her mind wander through the events of the afternoon. How Sonic had yelled at her. How she'd yelled at him. How he always mistreated her. How ungrateful he was for her help.

Amy had decided.

Screw you, Sonic the Hedgehog. I'm out of here.

"Let's do it!" She told Rouge, and the silver bat smiled.

Rouge had run away from Knuckles a while ago. She was almost certain that when Sonic came looking for Amy, Knuckles would coming looking for her.

And she would finally have that gullible echidna for her own.


	2. Thinking

**Hey, I'm back with another chapter! I'm quite proud of how fast I managed to update this, what with school and all. Maybe I just had a good day for creativity. **

**Don't expect updates to come every 1-2 days though, this was a one off.**

**I'll try my best though. Luckily I'm not very busy at the moment. But that could all change in a day.**

**Stupid school.**

**Anyways, enough of my babbling! On to the story!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own any of the Sonic Characters.**

Chapter 2- Thinking

Sonic wasn't sure what to think.

He'd had arguments with Amy in the past, but this one was different. She normally gave in pretty quickly, apologizing to him, pleading for him to forgive her with her wide jade-green eyes. And Sonic always did.

But this time...

Sonic wasn't used to people yelling at him. Sure Tails would moan at him for making a mess, or Knuckles for throwing a cushion at him, or Eggman for destroying yet another one of his prized robots.

But not Amy. She never yelled.

Until today.

Sonic hadn't realised that he made her feel that way. He hadn't realised that she had all of those thoughts bottled up inside her. Maybe things would have been easier if she'd been given the chance to get it off her chest slowly, bit by bit.

Not all in one go.

Sonic felt slightly guilty. He kept thinking back to what Amy had said, wondering if it could possibly be true. Surely he, Sonic the Hedgehog, hadn't done that to Amy Rose? Surely she was just having an off-day? There was no way that Sonic could be responsible for all of her pain.

Sonic couldn't convince himself that he was guiltless.

_I was just trying to help! _

Was she just trying to help? Was that all she was aiming for? Amy annoyed Sonic. She always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she was more of a hindrance than a help, especially because of her insane crush on him. Why couldn't she just act normally? Why did she have to annoy him?

Sonic sighed in frustration, it came out sounding like a hiss. Why couldn't Amy get it through her pink head that trying to be useful and looking after herself would be so much better than getting kidnapped and hurt all the time? Sonic didn't have time to have to keep thinking, 'Has Amy been captured? Will I have to go and rescue her?'

Did Amy _enjoy_ being captured? Did she _like _annoying Sonic? Did she love being so defenceless that Sonic had to spend a lot of time with her?

Sonic frowned. No, surely Amy wouldn't manipulate him like that. Of course she wouldn't just get herself into trouble purposely to spend time with him. She wouldn't do that.

Or would she?

Amy had an insane crush on Sonic, how far would she go? Would she be willing to cast herself as a damsel in distress just to spend time with him?

Sonic wasn't entirely sure that the answer was no.

Anger suddenly flared through Sonic, compelling him to his feet. Sonic needed to run, to think while the wind blew past him and ruffled his quills.

Sonic set off at the speed of light, darting through the city. People called out to him while he ran, but he greeted no one. He wasn't in the mood right now.

While he ran, he thought. Amy was sweet and kind most of the time, but whenever it came to him, Sonic, she always became just a little bit crazy. Her senses were scrambled, her guard was let down. She wasn't the same girl. If any other girl came within a 10 kilometre radius of Sonic, Amy would knock them stupid with that lethal hammer of hers. Even if it was just the pizza delivery girl.

Amy Rose was most definitely crazy when it came to Sonic the Hedgehog.

And Sonic was just a little bit tired of it. Would it be a shame if Amy didn't come back to the whole gang's shared house for the night? Would he really be bothered?

Sonic doubted it very much.

But some of the things Amy had said did bother him.

_You always have to be the star, the one in the glory._

That wasn't true. Sonic didn't need spotlights or trophies or statues. He was perfectly happy with justice and safe people. Wasn't he?

He didn't need the fame, but had it gone to his head? Was he so used to being treated like a god that he didn't like it when his friends saved someone once in a while? Had he really become a shallow, selfish monster?

Sonic shook his head. Of course he hadn't. It was just Amy messing around with his head.

_You can't stand for someone else to be the hero._

Sonic growled angrily. Stupid invisible voice. He didn't mind when someone else was the hero! He didn't always have to be the star! Did he?

Sonic was getting agitated. Surely what Amy had said wasn't true. Surely he wasn't mistreating his friends!

Sonic couldn't distinguish the truth from the lies anymore.

_Can't you just be grateful to your friends?_

Was he being ungrateful? Did he take them all for granted? Rouge had left a few weeks ago. Was that his fault? Was she sick of Sonic being too cocky for his own good?

What was going on?

_Stop being so selfish!_

Sonic's head was banging. He tried to convince himself that it was all some crazy nightmare, that there was no way it was true.

But he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to think that he was selfless. Because he most definitely wasn't selfless.

But was he more selfish than any other person? Had his fame made him big-headed?

Sonic didn't know what to think.

He ran back to his house and lay down on his bed, staring straight up at the ceiling.

_Selfish... ungrateful...hero...cocky...big-headed...glory..._

Sonic began to drift into uneasy unconsciousness, as one final thought struck him.

_You can't handle it..._

_You can't handle it..._

_You can't handle it..._

_Amy._

XxX

Knuckles the Echidna was not well-known for expressing emotions. Especially not romantic ones. So it would surprise someone if they could read minds, and just happened to read Knuckles' mind at this moment.

Because Knuckles was contemplating his romantic feelings. And it was _hard._

Knuckles wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, thinking about _love _and stuff like that. It was soppy and girly and totally not his thing. But he had found himself thinking about romantic things more and more ever since _she _left.

Rouge the Bat.

She had been gone for almost a month now, and Knuckles had most definitely noticed. Occasionally he felt like the only one who ever did notice her absence. Maybe it was because she spent most of her time teasing him when she was around, and Knuckles had noticed the lack of taunting words and teasing phrases. Whatever. All he knew was that life without Rouge was _dull._ Beyond irritating. It was worse than when Sonic decided to dress up as a cactus and sing 'Peanut Butter Jelly Time' over and over again, or when Tails had taken control of the TV and made them all watch 'Life of the Antique Collector' for the whole day.

And Knuckles was tired of it. He wanted her to come back and start stealing things and jibing him and make his life _interesting._

Because Knuckles hated dull.

Although, that wasn't the only thing Knuckles was thinking about. He was also thinking about Rouge in a... _romantic _way.

You heard me right. A romantic way.

Knuckles was freaked out. He had never thought about anyone in a _romantic _way. And yet, thoughts of Rouge in her very inappropriate dresses, of her going off to nightclubs, of her when she had her guard down and she was at her sweetest, they kept coming into his mind, leaking through, refusing to be pushed aside. Knuckles wasn't sure what to make of them.

He was very inexperienced. Even more than Sonic, and that's saying something.

So Knuckles spent most of his free time going over the thoughts in his mind, trying to work out what they meant. Because he was really stupid enough not to know.

Knuckles had only really managed to work one thing out, and that very fact scared him.

He needed Rouge back where he could see her, talk to her, be with her. He missed her more than he had ever expected he would, and it was a strange feeling.

He knew that he had to find Rouge. But he could never go alone, or he would get a _lifetime _of teasing from Sonic. He just needed a plan.

Watch out, Rouge. Knuckles is coming.

**Another chapter done! Do you think that it was too rushed? Should I slow the bits with Knuckles and Rouge down a little? Although, this is a Sonamy fic, so I know I should really be focusing on them, but still...**

**Please review! Reviews make me write! Thanks to Hazel The Rabbit, CelticGirl7 and ienjoyicecream for reviewing on the day the first chapter was posted! You guys were my inspiration to update again so quickly! A million thanks!**

**Till next time,**

**XBlazingVampire5X**


	3. Irresistible

**Okay, I finally got the inspiration to write another chapter of this. **

**But first...some words.**

**I am very sorry about taking so long, but things just spiralled out of control. School gave us all essays, exams, homework, etc, and then in the first week of the holidays I was in bed ill :( After that it was Christmas and then I was too busy visiting people to write.**

**But now I'm back at school and I want ANYTHING to do if it means I don't have to do my homework. So I'm back!**

**I'm going to shut up now. Just the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this chapter, EXCEPT for the ones who work at or visit...oh! But that would ruin it.**

Chapter 3- Irresistible

"Where are we going?" Amy whined.

She was usually a patient person. But she and Rouge had been travelling and walking for what felt like _years _to the pink hedgehog who much preferred relaxing. She didn't even know where Rouge was taking her. Whenever Amy asked, she replied 'Oh...somewhere good. Somewhere _hot_. Y'know...the usual.'

WHAT USUAL? No, Rouge I don't know.

Urgh.

"We're almost there, stop moaning," Rouge snapped. After the moment of niceness in the forest, Rouge had gone right back to her 'Snap and Yell at Amy' policy.

Oh, the joys of travelling with someone who you don't get on with!

Amy sighed and continued walking along behind Rouge. She pushed low-hanging branches out of her way and picked twigs out of her hair. Rouge had insisted on them walking through forests when they walked, and travelling in quiet carriages when they got on a train. _Why_ they did this Amy had no idea, and Rouge wouldn't tell her. But to be fair, she was tired of walking, especially through dense forests.

In truth, Amy was beginning to regret her hasty decision to come with Rouge. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, when all her anger and frustration was burning inside of her. She'd wanted to lash out at Sonic, the way he so frequently lashed out at her. Emotionally. Which damn well hurt more than any physical pain.

Amy had decided, that if Rouge didn't tell her where she was going soon, she would find civilization and make her way _home_, end of story.

So what if Sonic hated her? So what if her life was awkward and strange?

Anything was better than Rouge's creepy silence about their destination.

Amy mentally scolded herself. She couldn't give up now that she had come this far! And how she would get herself home alone was mind-blowing. And anyways, if she turned up before Sonic even _noticed _she was gone, how pathetic would _that_ look?

Answer: VERY.

Amy wasn't completely clueless about how to be captivating.

But she was tired of walking through forests.

"Rouge..." Amy started, planning on asking her again where they were headed.

"Through here!" Rouge suddenly cried, interrupting her. She was pointing through a gap in the trees, and Amy could see light through it. And cars. A city! A civilization! At last!

"Welcome..." Rouge purred, pushing her way out of the trees and waiting for Amy to come through, "To Haverly. Otherwise known as the City of Nightclubs."

Amy gasped. This city was magnificent! Large, grand, elegant. Each detail was perfect, everything finished with amazing precision. Skyscrapers towered above them and everywhere was buzzing with life. People shopping, swinging large bags backwards and forwards, paparazzi running around with cameras, tourists sampling food, street performers whizzing and twirling from shop to shop. Music drifted out from most shops, and some people had brought instruments with them and were playing for money. Amy had never seen such a beautiful place, or a place more alive.

And she loved it.

All her homesickness vanished.

She just wanted to have fun, live a little.

Something that Sonic had stopped her from doing her whole life.

"Perfect isn't it?" Rouge asked dreamily. "Just wait till you see where _we're _going to stay while we wait for our men!"

"_Our _men?" Amy asked incredulously.

Rouge looked uncomfortable. "Well...you know me...loads of boys want me...and you never know who might come along...I'm hoping...well...yeah."

Amy raised an eyebrow but didn't push it. "So? Where are we staying?"

Rouge's discomfort vanished and she smiled. "You'll see. Come on, let's go!"

Amy followed along behind Rouge, but this time it wasn't with annoyance and impatience. It was with fresh anticipation for what was to come. Anything could happen here, Amy thought. It had a special kind of magic to it.

Rouge led her to one of the bigger, more professional nightclubs in the city. The sign above the huge door read 'Irresistible' in silver italics. It looked like a cross between a nightclub and a _hotel._

"Rouge!" Amy panicked, thinking about how expensive this would be. "We can't stay here! It's a nightclub and a hotel! Mega expensive!"

Rouge laughed. "Yes it is." She admitted. "But I think you'll find that we will be just fine."

She walked inside and Amy timidly followed behind her, thinking that she was mad. No way would they be able to stay here.

Rouge approached the counter, but instead of ringing the bell, called out to the manager's door, which was ajar.

"Roxanne! Get out here, you little minx!"

Amy was horrified. Surely Rouge would get into heaps of trouble for speaking to the manager like that.

A head poked out from behind the door, and then a slim, curvy, beautiful bat came out. She had silver fur and shoulder-length, curly hair, also a shiny silver. She had amber eyes, pink lips and large hoop earrings dangling from her thin, pointy ears. She was wearing a black jacket over a white blouse, and tight black jeans. For some reason that Amy couldn't guess, she went barefoot.

Roxanne came out from behind the counter and hugged Rouge.

"Hiya, Rouge! Long time, no see!"

"Hey Roxanne. This is my friend, Amy. Y'know, the ones I mentioned. Before." Rouge gave Roxanne a 'look' before turning to Amy.

"Amy, this is my younger sister, Roxanne. She's the manager here."

Oh. So that was why they'd be able to stay here without any bother. Amy stepped forward and extended her hand. "I'm Amy Rose." She said.

Roxanne grinned at her and shook her hand. "As you may have gathered, I'm Roxanne the Bat."

Good. Roxanne clearly liked her. Not much like Rouge. And she was polite.

"So!" Said Roxanne, clapping her hands. "Will you want your normal room, Rouge, or one that you and your friend can share and still...have fun in?"

"We'll go for option B." Rouge said, smirking at her sister.

Roxanne disappeared into her office and returned with two keys, both for the same room.

"Room 369. Top floor." She said, handing one key to Rouge and the other to Amy. "See you around, girls! Don't be strangers!"

And with that, she walked back inside her office and closed the door.

Rouge turned back to Amy. "And that was my little sister Roxanne. Come on, let's go up to our room and see what Roxy has given us to relax in."

Amy nodded and followed Rouge to the elevator. Rouge had clearly been here before as she knew exactly where she was going.

She and Amy made their way to room 369, and Rouge let them in.

Amy gasped again.

Their room was a suite. It was luxurious. Plush velvet sofas. Two double-bed rooms. En suites. Flat-screen T.V. Mirrors bigger than Amy and Rouge put together.

It was a girl's heaven.

"I cannot believe your sister is the manager here!" Amy said, looking around the room in awe.

"Yeah, well, it was our mom's before, but Roxy took over it. I help her out a lot, and she lets me and my friends stay here for free. It's a sweet deal."

Amy sank down on to the sofa.

"How come you never told any of us about it?" She asked.

Rouge sat down next to her and frowned.

"I'm not sure really. I guess, with Chris' mansion, and the base, I never really thought much about this place. But occasionally, I would escape and spend some luxury time here. It really is a fantastic place. Which reminds me...we didn't bring any clothes did we?"

Amy groaned. "No, we didn't. What are we going to do?"

Rouge laughed. "Don't worry so much! It'll be fine. The closets in these rooms will be stocked with gorgeous everyday wear, and elegant, glam evening gowns or outfits. After all, this is a nightclub. And if you want something else, we can go shopping!"

Amy grinned.

"So!" Rouge cried, jumping up. "We have approximately 3 hours until the lights go out and the music starts! That should be just enough time for us to get ready. Here's the plan: Shower, get dried, pick out an outfit for tonight, leave it hanging up, dry our hair, get changed, do our make-up, style our hair, get shoes and accessories, go downstairs and party! Okay?"

Amy blinked in surprise. She'd registered Rouge's plan, but...her, go to a nightclub?

Rouge appeared to have read her mind.

"You'll be fine! I'll glam you up, and I know already that you can dance. It'll be a great way to meet other boys and distract you from that blue badass."

Amy nodded, determinedly. Meeting new boys while Sonic pined over her...seemed like a great way to live a little.

"Okay!" Amy said. "Let's get ready!"

XxX

It was 15 minutes until they were due to leave for the party. Amy and Rouge were almost glammed to perfection. Rouge was just finishing Amy's hair, while Amy contemplated possible accessories for Rouge's outfit.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Rouge?" A voice called in. A female voice, high and clear.

"Come in, Cindy!" Rouge called, not taking her eyes off of the piece of hair she was currently styling. "Just one more piece..." she murmured.

"Go with the chunky black bracelet and a velvet choker in black." Amy decided, just as they were joined by a pretty chestnut fox. She was dressed in a gold dress that came to about halfway down her thighs. She was extremely skinny, and had green eyes that shined. Her russet hair was perfectly straight and hung to her waist.

"Amy, this is Cindy. She works here as Roxy's assistant."

"Hiya, Cindy. I'm Amy."

"Hey there, you two! Getting dolled up for the party?"

"Yup," Rouge replied. "There Amy, all done!"

"W-o-w!" Cindy said, elongating it for emphasis. "You look good, hedgehog! You two, Rouge!"

Amy's outfit was a silky purple dress that trailed in a floaty way to the floor, but was backless. She wore violet heels and had her hair curled in angel curls, so that it framed her face. Her eyes were outlined in lilac and her lipstick was a hot pink colour. She looked amazing.

Rouge unplugged the curlers and grabbed the accessories Amy had suggested. She was wearing a wine-red velvet dress that, like Cindy's, came to halfway down her thighs. She wore knee-length black boots and, as Amy had instructed, a chucky black bracelet and black velvet choker. Her eyes were outlined in crimson and her lipstick was a rich scarlet.

"Purr-fect!" Rouge claimed, looking at herself in the mirror and nodding. "The boys will be having seizures when they see us!"

Cindy growled seductively and Amy smiled, but on the inside she felt shaky. This was her first time going to a nightclub, especially a nightclub like this. She wasn't sure if she could pull it off.

She vaguely remembered something Rouge had said to her while she was styling her hair, that you had to believe that you belonged if you wanted others to believe it too.

Okay, Amy decided, looking at her reflection and pretending that she was a paparazzi.

_Look at that beauty! Let's snap a shot of her for the front cover!_

Amy suddenly felt a lot better. Yeah, she was quite pretty in this outfit. She did belong in nightclubs, same as Rouge and Cindy. She could totally do this!

Maybe Rouge _does _give some good advice occasionally, Amy thought to herself. Who'd have guessed?

The three girls went downstairs and into the main nightclub area. Amy noticed that there was a huge bar, and that most of the potential 'boys' were hanging around there, though some were dancing.

Suddenly, Roxanne appeared behind them.

"Boo!" She cried, causing Amy and Cindy to jump and Rouge to roll her eyes.

Roxanne was wearing a midnight blue evening gown similar to Amy's, and blue heels. Her hair was wavy and wild around her face, and she had outlined her eyes the same colour as her lip gloss, electric blue. She looked like some sexy character from a sci-fi programme.

"Hi, Roxanne," Amy laughed. She didn't call her Roxy, in case that was something only Rouge did.

"Hey, girls! Seen any cute lads yet?" She asked, glancing ever so casually at the boys nearest to them.

"Rox, we just got here!" Cindy laughed, shaking her head. "I've barely been able to read the drinks menu!"

Roxanne giggled, and then looked up at the boys again.

"Hey! Cindy, I think he's interested in you!"

Cindy looked up at the drinks menu, seeming bored, but then quickly looked down to where Roxanne was casually nodding towards.

Sure enough, one of the boys there _did _look interested in her. He was eyeing her up and down and smiling. He said something to his mates, and they looked over too. Immediately, all four girls looked elsewhere.

Rule for looking cool with boys: Don't look too keen.

The one who had been originally eyeing Cindy started coming over. He took Cindy by the hand and led her further away. Roxanne gave her the thumbs up while he wasn't looking.

Amy suddenly had a bad feeling that she would be alone very soon.

And she was right.

Another boy suddenly appeared and took Rouge away. Rouge gave Amy the thumbs up and a wink before disappearing, mouthing 'Call me if you need me'.

Roxanne grinned at Amy.

"This is the fun, you know. Getting boys. Quick tip: Leave them while the fun is starting. Leave em hanging. Small talk, don't get heavy. Move from boy to boy. Live a little, kay?"

"Okay," Amy nodded like she was confident, but on the inside she was screaming in terror.

She would be alone soon.

And then...yes. Roxanne was taken aswell.

For the second time that day, Amy wanted to go home. She also realised that she looked like a loner, standing there with no one around her.

But Amy was a half-full kind of girl.

Well! She thought brightly, walking towards the bar and acting casual. If you can't get a boy to come to you by standing around, you just have to attract one in a different way!

Amy listened to the beat of the song, and then slowly, began to dance. Just a little swinging of her hips. Just to show the lads what was on offer.

It worked.

The boys near the bar began to notice her. Stare at her. Admire her.

Yes, Amy thought happily, I'm seductive too.

One boy, a handsome dog, came and stopped her mid-dance.

"Why don't you come and dance with me?" he whispered to her.

Amy raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"See if you can keep up," she whispered back.

The dog grinned at her and they walked towards the dancefloor hand-in-hand.

Amy agreed with Rouge. She would wait for Sonic here, because she loved him, but she wasn't committed. She could have her fun too. And maybe it would help make her more sympathetic towards him when he came...if she'd had some time to get over him with other boys.

Yeah. Amy Rose was turning into a sexy boy-magnet.

And, as she thought back to how rotten she felt a few days before, she became very grateful towards the nightclub.

And how appropriate was its name!

Finally, although it had taken some time, Amy Rose had become irresistible.

**Ta da! Another chapter done! Just in case you were wondering, I own Roxanne, Cindy, and the people at the nightclub. If you ever want to borrow them for your own fic...message me.**

**So...did you like it? I think I might have to change the rating, but I just thought that it would be a nice way to start off Amy's life in Haverly. (I made that name up) And it also has a couple of useful tips in there, although I read those in books so I make no claim on them.**

**Whatever...until the next chapter!**

**XBlazingVampire5X**


	4. Realisation

**Yay! Snow snow snow! **

**School wasn't closed today...but I'm not going! So it's another next-day update! Yay for slippery roads and cars that just aren't designed for the snow!**

**So...I'm off school, got nothing to do because loads of people are in school, so I'm back with another chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Sonic Characters.**

Chapter 4-Realisation

Sonic was annoyed.

Worried.

Angry.

Paranoid.

Had that tree just winked at him?

Sonic shook his head to clear it. There was no use in being afraid of trees. At least you couldn't drown in them.

Sonic walked along the pavement, kicking a stone along as he did so. He couldn't relax. He couldn't get comfortable in his own mind. So he found himself running and pacing a lot.

What had actually happened that day in the park?

Had he really fallen out with Amy?

Amy...who was usually so patient and understanding?

Amy...who had always been there whether he was a jerk or not?

It didn't make sense. It must have been some confusion, some trick of Eggman's. He must have been tired. It must have been a bad dream. No way, not on this Earth, would he have fallen out with Amy.

Sonic nodded to himself, determinedly. Of course everything was fine. Of course everything was normal.

So why did it feel so...abnormal?

Sonic stopped and picked up the stone he had been kicking, twirling it in his fingers. He couldn't hide from the truth, try as he might. Especially when it was staring him right in the face.

Amy Rose was gone.

Left. Disappeared.

Without even a note to Cream, for goodness sake.

That day in the park...must have been worse than he thought.

Sonic had pondered a lot of things that Amy had said.

He discovered that maybe he was a bit-okay a lot- of a jerk sometimes.

He didn't always treat his friends right.

But didn't every teenage boy make mistakes? Didn't every teenager? Every _person?_

Why was he different? Why should he be perfect?

Sonic sighed in frustration and threw the rock in a large arc into the trees, before sitting down on a bench. He put his head in his hands and groaned.

So he didn't hear the annoyed approach from behind him.

"Sonic!" Knuckles yelled angrily, waving the rock that Sonic had just thrown. Sonic startled and blinked at Knuckles innocently.

"What?"

"Did you throw this rock at me?" Knuckles raged, waving the rock in Sonic's face.

Sonic had to stifle a laugh.

"I threw it, Knuckles, yes, but not at you. It just hit you by accident."

Knuckles went bright red, then purple.

"And I'm supposed to believe that? You threw it at me on purpose!"

Sonic sighed shakily. He would normally have jumped at an opportunity to wind Knuckles up, but today...it just didn't seem so inviting.

Knuckles stopped ranting about jerks and how rocks should be banned to peer at Sonic.

"What's up, blue boy?" he asked, sitting down next to Sonic and dropping the rock on the ground.

"Nothing," Sonic replied, a little too quickly. He really didn't want to tell Knuckles about the thoughts swarming around in his head. He was normally the type of guy who _acted, _not thought about what he was saying and doing. And Knuckles would have a field day of teasing if Sonic opened up.

Knuckles didn't look too convinced.

"It really doesn't look like nothing." He pressed.

Sonic decided to change the subject.

"What were you doing in the trees anyway?" He asked Knuckles.

Knuckles suddenly looked a bit embarrassed. As though there was something he didn't want to say.

"What is it?" Sonic asked him. Was Knuckles going through something similar to him? No, the idea was ludicrous. Seriously, _Knuckles_, _thinking?_ It wasn't possible. The only thought he gave to anything was through his fists.

"Nothing," Knuckles replied, causing both of them to chuckle. There clearly _was _something going on with both of them, they just didn't want to say what it was.

"Have you been..._thinking_ about stuff?" Knuckles suddenly asked, looking at Sonic through narrowed eyes.

"Um, kind of..." Sonic admitted. No sense in lying now he'd started this.

Knuckles looked like he wanted to laugh, but didn't. "I guess...well, I've been thinking about stuff too."

Sonic raised his eyebrows. Result!

Maybe ludicrous things really do happen.

"What have you been thinking about?" Sonic asked, deciding to get Knuckles to open up a little more now that he'd got started.

Knuckles shifted uncomfortably on his seat. "Someone..." he eventually admitted.

Ah. So Knuckles hadn't _completely_ changed then.

"Same here," Sonic told him, trying his hardest not to laugh. Knuckles looked so uncomfortable and slightly guilty, it was beyond priceless. If only he had a camera.

Knuckles looked at Sonic and glared. Sonic immediately put a straight face on. He didn't want to piss Knuckles off now that they'd just got talking about...funny things...for them at least. Sonic started laughing silently again.

"Who have you been thinking about?" Knuckles demanded from Sonic, causing Sonic to break off mid-laugh. Now _he _felt uncomfortable. Great...

"Well, it's just, someone I had a bit of a fight with...and now..."

"She's gone." Knuckles finished simply.

Sonic gaped at him. How did he know that he was talking about Amy? How did he know they'd argued?

Knuckles glanced up at Sonic.

"Close your mouth, dude." Sonic did as he was told. "We all know what happened. Tails saw you argue, told Cream, and she told me. We've all noticed she's gone too. We aren't blind."

Sonic growled. "Damn Tails. The stupid geek. Doesn't he know some things are private?"

Knuckles laughed.

"Chill, man. Tails only told Cream because she was worried about Amy, and she only told me because she asked me if I'd seen Amy, so naturally I made the little rabbit tell me everything."

Sonic glared at the floor. Okay, so now his friends were talking about his private life behind his back? They were the jerks, not him.

The reminder of what Amy had said brought him painfully back to the subject. They were discussing their thoughts. And his were with Amy.

But Knuckles...

"So. I've told you who I'm thinking about, so now you tell me."

Knuckles looked as though he wanted to leave. But he did believe in a fair exchange, so Sonic knew that he would cave in soon.

"Well...it's this girl...and it's kind of weird because I hardly even noticed her before. But now she's gone, well, she left ages ago, but it's like I've only just noticed. Weird right?"

Sonic nodded slowly. "Rouge."

Knuckles hung his head, ashamed.

Sonic could sympathise.

"It _is_ weird, isn't it? How when they're around, it's like they're invisible, but when they're gone...they're all you see."

Knuckles nodded in agreement. "Why can't it be simple? I don't know where she is, and I can't even call, because I don't know her number."

Sonic raised one eyebrow. "You want to call her?"

Knuckles looked at Sonic like he was a bit stupid.

"Duh. I haven't heard her speak in ages. Don't you want to hear Amy talk again?"

Sonic frowned. "Yeah...kind of...even if she just yelled."

"Precisely. I want to hear Rouge, even if she just called me names and teased me."

Sonic laughed. "It's easy to start to love the things that used to annoy you, isn't it?"

Knuckles nodded. "Only problem is...they're gone and we don't know where to find them."

"Hey, that's like that old nursery rhyme! About how that girl loses her sheep and doesn't know where to find them!"

Knuckles looked at Sonic like he was mentally deranged.

"It goes...leave them alone and they'll come home!"

Knuckles sighed. "I _have _left her alone. I've tried to ignore everything that reminded me of her. But it won't work Sonic. I think we'll have to go and stake our claim."

Sonic laughed. "Seriously? Okay, you might have to claim Rouge, but Amy? She's too innocent. No way would she have loads of boys."

(Me: Haha! Sonic's got another thing coming if he thinks that!)

Knuckles waved a hand in agreement. "Fair enough. But if she's with Rouge, and I'm presuming she is, then that status could change faster than you run."

Sonic was taken aback. He really hadn't thought about that...

And anyway, did he really want Amy back here? Did he really want her hurling accusations at him? Wouldn't it just be easier to let her go with Rouge?

...

No, of course it wouldn't. Of course he had to go and find her. Apologise, smile, whatever, then bring her back.

But his motives...

Did he want Amy back just so that Eggman couldn't find her and hurt her?

Or did he want her back because he was bored of beans on toast?

Sonic felt strangely light-headed. Why did he want Amy back?

What was so special about her?

Well, for starters, she was a great girl. Kind, selfless, helpful...she had a great personality and cared deeply about the people around her. She wanted to help those who weren't as lucky as she was and had an uncanny ability of being able to see the good in people no matter how many bad things they'd done. She was pure and innocent and tended to think about things carefully before rushing into them.

She always knew what to say and would be there when one of her friends needed her. She always had some of the best advice and could throw light on any situation. She could stop the world from becoming too much to handle and help you fix things and put them back where they belong. Plus, she's a great cook, so she will always fix you a tasty snack to cheer you up.

And...well, she was quite pretty. Her hair was fluffy almost, and swayed when she walked. She always had a unique sense of style, and was true to herself. Her emerald eyes shone when she was happy, and they were so deep you found yourself trusting them regardless of what she was saying. She really did capture the image of an angel.

Wow. Sonic had never noticed this before. It was only when it really came down to it...when he really needed to see the perfection...that he saw what he'd failed to see all along.

Amy Rose was the One.

The only reason he felt so angry with her when she got captured or hurt was because he cared so much about her.

The only reason he was annoyed when she threw herself at him was because she barely gave him the chance to express his own feelings.

The only reason he felt so sad when she'd gone... was because he needed to be with her or he'd never be complete.

And now she'd gone.

Knuckles was right.

He needed to find her.

He _had _to fix what he'd done.

Show her the truth.

Show her that he'd changed, learnt about himself and made the adjustments.

He needed to find his sweet, sweet rose and tell her he loved her.

Because it was true.

Sonic the Hedgehog had finally fallen in love.

He'd only just realised.

And now he was running out of time. He had to find his girl. He had to become her hero again.

And he wouldn't be alone.

"Knuckles...this may sound weird...but you are damn smarter than you think."

Knuckles grinned. "Are we going?"

Sonic looked up at the sky and watched the clouds sail past. One of them was shaped like a rose. Another was shaped like a heart.

Sonic looked down at the ground, and there he saw a rose, pink like Amy, lying in wait on the ground.

All around him, he saw couples, having fun, cuddling, kissing.

He wanted to be like them like he needed air to breathe.

"We're going."

**!**

**Finally!**

**Those stupid lads have finally learnt that what they really needed was there all along! Yay!**

**But now they have to find them...**

**I'm glad that I managed to update the day after I last updated...but this is exactly what happened with chapters 1 and 2, and look at how long chapter 3 took!**

**Hopefully, I will stay true to my New Year's Resolution and update often. Yay!**

**Till next chapter,**

**XBlazingVampire5X**


	5. Persuasion

**Okay, so it's been a few days since I last updated, but school is a real nightmare and I have to be able to keep on top of things. Anyways, I decided that I would take this opportunity to write another chapter of this. **

**Question: Do you think I should write 2-3 chapters over a period of about 1-2 weeks, then update them in one go? Or carry on updating one chapter at a time? Review and send me an answer or send me a message!**

**Disclaimer: If I did, by some miracle, own the Sonic Characters, would I be using this disclaimer? **

Chapter 5- Persuasion

It was about a week since Amy had decided to leave Sonic, 3 days since she and Rouge had arrived in Haverly. Amy had really let loose and learnt to live a little more, under the guidance of Rouge, Roxy, and Cindy. She went to more parties in 3 days than she'd been to in her whole life back at Station Square. She shopped more, and at more, ah, sophisticated places.

And the boys? They flocked around her like bees to honey. Amy really had become more like Rouge, and to be honest, she was loving every minute of it.

Occasionally though, she would catch a glimpse of herself in a shop window and feel depressed. Inside, the shy, innocent Amy was being suffocated under the new layers of hot, sexy Amy. When Amy sometimes caught a glimpse of herself, she'd feel stupid, like a little girl who had gone through her mom's fancy clothes, putting on whatever. Then Rouge or Roxy or Cindy would point out a new shop and she would feel perfectly fine again, the shy Amy buried once more.

There was one thing that constantly bothered Amy, and Rouge too. The fact that during this week, there hadn't been even one phone call from Sonic and/or Knuckles. Amy was beginning to think that maybe Sonic was glad she had disappeared, and was having some time being free, as he so often called it when she wasn't around.

So Amy was having her doubts about Sonic coming at all. Rouge told her to keep her head high because he would definitely come to get her, but Amy felt genuinely nervous about whether or not this theory would ever become a reality.

Amy was sitting at the bar, watching Cindy work behind it. They were supposed to be chatting, but with Cindy, you could zone out and she would continue to babble obliviously. Amy was thinking about Sonic, and her latest boy, Zack. Zack was a handsome panther, with silky black fur and shimmering amber eyes. He was muscled well and was quite tall, yet he was completely selfless. He didn't brag, didn't check himself out all the time, like some of the boys Amy had met. He cared genuinely about the girl he was with, as he apparently had a history around Haverly. Roxy had told Amy that he never dumped a girl, he was too nice. When Amy had met him, she felt a tug of respect for the panther. They had soon hooked up. Amy considered Zack to be the one keeping her niceness intact. If it wasn't for him, the sweet and caring Amy would have disappeared ages ago.

Amy was comparing Zack to Sonic. She knew it was wrong, as everyone is different and comparing two people generally is a cruel thing. But she compared them anyway, and she realised that even though Zack was perfect, handsome, selfless, kind, she still felt more strongly for Sonic. Even though she came here to escape Sonic, date other boys, she couldn't get him out of her head. Not that she would break it off with Zack. He was way too sweet.

"Amy! Amy!" Cindy's sharp yell broke through Amy's thinking.

"What?" She asked, looking at Cindy.

"You were so not listening! I asked you if you wanted a drink and you totally ignored me!"

Amy grinned sheepishly at Cindy. "Sorry, I was just lost in thought..."

Cindy frowned. "Rouge said you were supposed to forget about this Sonic man, Amy. It would make the time go quicker if you did."

Amy sighed. Everyone was watching her, making sure that she didn't think about Sonic. She knew that they were only trying to help her, but she wished that they would lay off for a while.

"I know Cindy. I am trying. He just keeps working his way back into my mind. I don't know if I'll survive without him for much longer."

Cindy looked as though someone had died.

"What?" Amy asked, confusion spreading across her face at the look on Cindy's. "What is it?"

"You've...you've _gone._" Cindy croaked out, her eyes wide and staring.

Amy was panicking. "Gone? Gone where? Cindy, Cindy sweet, look, I'm right here!"

Cindy shook her head, her russet ears flapping. "I have to tell Rouge that you've gone over to the _other side._"

"WHAT OTHER SIDE?" Amy screeched, her voice two octaves higher than usual. "What are you talking about Cindy?"

Cindy ignored Amy and walked out of the room. Amy sat on the bar stool, mouthing after her, millions of thoughts whizzing through her head. What was Cindy going on about? Had she seen Amy going to meet with Zack across the road? Was this some strange misunderstanding about her loyalty to Irresistible?

Amy didn't get long to ponder, because Cindy returned with a grave-looking Rouge and a sad-looking Roxy.

Cindy pointed a shaking finger at her and said, "Other side."

She then started chewing her lip and wringing her hands together nervously.

Amy stared at Cindy for a few seconds before turning to Rouge, hoping to get a decent explanation about Cindy's extremely odd behaviour.

"What's going on, Rouge?" She asked the silver bat. "What's the 'other side'? I only go across the road to meet Zack so if you think-"

Rouge cut across Amy. "Amy, the 'other side' is not the other side of the street."

Amy frowned. "What...what is it then?"

Roxy laughed a high, hysterical laugh that really wasn't like her. "The poor thing! It's brainwashed her already!"

Rouge shot her sister a look before directing her gaze once more to Amy. "Amy, the other side is a term we use to describe what happens when someone falls in love."

Amy felt her whole body relax. Was that it? She'd been expecting something like death or permanent brain damage!

Amy giggled, and the three girls looked at her like she was on her deathbed.

"Oh, come on!" She whined, "Being in love isn't so bad! Well, not when you're with the person and you're getting along, but when you're apart or arguing it's quite bad, but seriously! You guys are overreacting!"

Rouge sighed. Roxy's eyes were practically bugging out of their sockets and Cindy had gone pale.

"She really has been brainwashed!" Roxy cried out, her eyes widening even more.

"We've lost her. There's no bringing her back when she's in that deep!" Cindy stated sadly.

"Yes, she has officially crossed over to the other side. No more playing the field. She'll have to see her relationship with Sonic through before she can even think about dating another guy."

Amy stopped giggling abruptly. "But what about Zack?"

"You'll have to finish with him!" Roxy said, simply.

"But...but I really like him! And he's so sweet, how can I just say, we're through, all because of some guy who isn't even here!"

Rouge looked at Amy suspiciously. It was the look which formed the idea in Amy's head.

"You still have to end it with him," Cindy continued from Roxy, "Let him be with someone who isn't in love with someone else!"

"Right, so I'll just break up with him and sit around pining for a guy who isn't here! Fantastic idea!" Amy snapped sarcastically. Hmm, she had definitely been spending too much time with Rouge.

"Well, yeah, that's pretty much it!" Roxy said enthusiastically. "You could help out around here if you like, it'll take your mind off things!"

Clearly, Roxy had never experienced life on the 'other side'.

"No thanks. If I'm breaking up with Zack then I'm doing what I should have done in the first place. I'm going back to Station Square."

Roxy and Cindy gasped, Rouge just looked sad. How was she supposed to get Knuckles to come to her if Amy went back? Sonic wouldn't leave and Knuckles wouldn't come alone.

There was only two choices left for Rouge. Either she joined Amy in going back to Station Square, or she persuaded Amy to stay and wait for the guys to come to them.

Option 1 was already ruled out. Rouge would never lower her standards to looking _that _desperate. How pathetic would it be, turning up with Amy after weeks of absence, with a feeble excuse? And if Knuckles had barely even noticed her absence, everything she had been through over the last few weeks would have been pointless.

So that left Rouge with only one option. She would have to persuade Amy to stay. But there was only one way she could pull it off. And it would mean trusting Amy to the maximum. Rouge didn't want to, but she had no other option. She would have to come clean and tell Amy the truth. But...not in front of Roxy and Cindy. She wasn't that stupid.

Amy glared around once more before storming out and heading back to her room. Rouge looked at her sister and her friend, before silently following.

Amy was stamping and huffing her way to her room. How dare they tell her what to do in her love life? How dare they tell her that she was part of some 'other side'? How dare they ruin her perfectly happy time by making her leave? True, she didn't _have _to go. But if she couldn't date Zack and she still had to wait for Sonic here, then she was done playing hard to get. She would pack some of the hotel clothes, break up with Zack and then leave, heading home. She would return to Station Square and make up some heroic story as to why she had left, then slip back into the same old lifestyle of being rejected by Sonic. No biggie, right?

Amy growled as she slammed the door of her room shut, stalking over to one of the suitcases in the corner of the room. She put it on her bed and opened it, before heading into the closet and taking out what she wanted. She wasn't really sure if she was allowed, but Rouge had told her that she could wear what she liked, so that was exactly what she was going to do. Just at Station Square, not Haverly.

Amy was making so much noise with her stamping and slamming that she didn't hear Rouge's soft approach. Amy jumped a mile when Rouge tapped her on the shoulder, then scowled at her while she waited for Rouge to speak.

"Amy, you don't have to go back to Station Square." Rouge began, in her most calm, soothing tone. Rouge reserved it for dire situations, and this was one of them.

The only way she could persuade Amy to stay was to be more like Amy, sweet and understanding. And of course, the Ace of her hand, the truth card. Rouge was hoping she wouldn't have to resort to that secret, but she very much doubted Amy would agree before she told her the secret.

"Yes Rouge, I do," Amy snapped, shoving the hand off her shoulder and turning back towards the closet.

"You don't have to break up with Zack you know, Amy. They just said that because it's routine."

Amy stopped, and Rouge knew that she was starting to waver. Amy liked Zack, not as much as Sonic, but she definitely liked him.

Amy turned back to face Rouge. Didn't have to dump Zack? The idea was promising. But not quite promising enough.

"Thanks for clearing that up, Rouge, but I've realised that what Cindy and Roxy were saying is true. I have crossed over to the 'other side', and I hadn't even realised. It went from some stupid fan girl crush to a genuine love. And, well, I'm not very good at this flirty stuff."

Rouge saw another way she could use her persuasive tactics to win.

"So this is all because you aren't flirty enough? You're leaving Zack because you aren't flirty enough, really? That's mean, Amy."

Amy froze. Rouge was right, it was mean of her to do something like that. Zack was a really nice guy, and she couldn't dump him for not being flirty enough. She needed a better reason.

"That isn't the reason I'm breaking up with him and leaving! It's really because it isn't fair on Zack if I love someone else."

Damn. Rouge knew that there was only one way to win now. And it involved the certain secret about herself that she had never wanted to share.

"Amy. Listen to me for a sec. Full attention, please."

Rouge sounded so genuinely grave and anxious that Amy turned and really did give her full attention to the bat.

"Amy, I'm going to tell you something about me that I've never told anyone else before. I trust you enough to tell you, and you had better not tell anyone else."

Amy was wide-eyed and staring. Rouge was going to tell _her_ one of her big secrets? _Her_?

"Promise not to tell?" Rouge prompted.

Amy nodded silently, too shocked to form the words to clarify it.

Rouge took a deep breath. "See...I know it's fair on Zack if you love someone else and date him too, because, well, I've been dating loads of guys, when really, I'm in love with someone totally different."

Amy realised that her mouth was hanging open and quickly shut it. Rouge caught sight of it and laughed.

"Yeah, I know it's crazy, but Amy, I understand how you feel, because, well, I crossed over to the other side ages ago."

Finally Amy's voice broke through her shock.

"Rouge...thank you, for trusting me enough to tell me that." Rouge nodded. "If that's all true, then I will stay. For you, because it would be rude of me now to just leave, after what you've told me. We'll stay here together, waiting for our guys, yeah?"

Rouge smiled, a genuine smile, not her usual smirk, and nodded at the pink hedgehog. "Yeah, we'll wait here for our men and not leave until they get here!"

Amy grinned at the bat, before frowning.

"Rouge?" She began.

Rouge studied the confused look on Amy's face. "Yeah?"

"I don't want to pry, but who is your man?"

Rouge blushed. Which was something she _didn't _do. Except for moments like these, when _he _was involved.

At first, Rouge decided not to tell her. Then she decided to give her a fake name. But it would be mean, especially considering she knew who Amy was waiting for and discussed it with Roxy and Cindy.

"Um, Knuckles..." she mumbled.

Amy strained to catch Rouge's words. She looked at Rouge, and Rouge looked at the floor, then back at her, then at the floor again.

Finally...

"I always suspected you did." Amy said.

"What?" Rouge's head snapped up to look at Amy. Was it that obvious?

"Chill, no one else noticed! Especially not him!"

Rouge sighed in relief.

"But this is good!" Amy continued happily, her old bounce coming back.

"What is?" Rouge curiously asked.

"The fact that you like Knuckles!" Amy chirruped. "That means that they'll probably come together, so we can wait it out for the same amount of time, and there won't be a risk of one of us leaving before the other!"

Rouge grimaced at Amy's bubbly aura. She didn't really do bubbly. But she had to admit, now that she had gotten the secret of her chest, even she felt light and floaty.

"Oh!" Amy cried, turning to her suitcase. "Best unpack!"

Rouge watched Amy dash about, humming, and her old superiority crept back a little. She had definitely won this battle, Amy was staying, she wouldn't have to go back to Station Square and look desperate, and the days ahead seemed much brighter. Once again, she had single-handedly made a situation better for herself. A smug smile made its way onto her lips, but she made sure Amy didn't see.

_Ah, the persuasion skills of Rouge the Bat_, she thought to herself. _Yet again, another soul is subjected to my talents and can't fight the power I hold._

Rouge chuckled to herself. She really was quite evil, in her own way.

But it was all for the best.

**So, another chapter done! Yay! No seriously, I had some rough patches where I thought I might end up scrapping this story because I've been reading fanfics that haven't got anything to do with the Sonic Characters, so I sort of lost my inspiration. But I have a duty to my readers, so I will see this story through to the very end!**

**PLEASE! Please answer the question I posted at the top of this as I need the answer to structure my updates not only in this story but also my other stories, when I write them. So please, answer!**

**And review! It doesn't have to be an essay, just a sentence! REVIEW! **

**Reviews are fuel for updates!**

**Till next chapter, **

**XBlazingVampire5X**


	6. Planning

**Um, hey. I know, I know, it's been AGES since I last updated, but fanfiction BROKE on me (if you read my bio on my profile you may know, but I've removed it now so you might not), and wouldn't let me update my stories. Also, I did try to write three chapters instead of one. Based on reviews I trialled doing three chapters and updating in one go instead of just the one, but I found it long and tedious so you're only getting one chapter, unless I can write chapter 7 as well today. **

**Anyways, my babbling is boring. So, onto the story!**

Chapter 6- Planning

Knuckles was pissed.

That wasn't unusual, and it certainly happened a lot in stressful or slow situations.

Right now, Knuckles was pissed because Sonic was taking forever to get his lazy ass going. He insisted on planning everything carefully, their journey, their supplies, their arrival, and to be perfectly honest Knuckles was sick and tired of it. He was an _action _person. He believed in acting first and thinking about it when reminded to think about it. Not sitting around for weeks trying to decide how much _water _he needed.

Since when had Sonic become so damned _fussy?_

Maybe Amy had totally screwed the dude. Whatever. All Knuckles knew was that Sonic was turning into a Tails copy with every minute that passed, and for all they knew Amy and Rouge could be boarding a plane to fly halfway across the world by now.

Not Knuckles' idea of the best way to find them.

Tails and Cream had agreed to help (well, Tails agreed to help and then there was no question of Cream not being involved, though both Tails and Cream denied it everyone knew how much they liked each other) and the two of them and Sonic had disappeared into their own little bubble of planning and discussion. Knuckles was way out of his element, so he mostly just mooched around trying to decide on what to say to Rouge when he finally found her.

Knuckles was not a...'talky' guy. He didn't do communication. His main form of communicating was through his fists.

Oh how Knuckles wished he could punch something right now. At least it would give him something to do.

Also, Knuckles was not a 'thinky' guy. He didn't like thinking hard about things, especially things that required a good decision. Those situations freaked him out.

So when Knuckles was forced to _think _about how he could _talk _to the girl he liked, it resulted in a very pissed off echidna.

Somewhere in the sensible part of his brain (long buried), he knew that thinking about this was necessary and vitally important. If he spent weeks trying to find Rouge and then totally screwed it up with the first words out of his mouth, the whole thing would be a complete failure.

And Knuckles detested failure.

So he mostly mooched around by himself and tried to think of some ways to talk to Rouge. Maybe he could compliment her. Or be flirty and sexy. Knuckles had tried the former, but he wasn't very good at modest compliments when they weren't on a battlefield and when he tried to imagine saying them to _Rouge,_ the whole thing fell apart.

Knuckles was leaning more towards flirty and sexy, but he wasn't really sure he was getting it right. Sure it was what Rouge would prefer, but if he just looked like a prat...

And it wasn't like Knuckles could _practice._ Who the hell would he practice with? Cream? That would be a form of rape. Tails? Creepy. Sonic? Shut the hell up, he wasn't gay.

So Knuckles had to practice being seductive in front of a mirror, like a girl obsessed over practicing kissing. He hated being reduced to this. But it was for Rouge, so he would take the embarrassment he gave himself on the chin and live with it. Just so long as no one ever _saw _him doing it, he could get away with his fairly pathetic attempts at being ready to meet Rouge again.

Wow. He must really like the girl.

Damn it. He was totally screwed.

Knuckles kicked a nearby rock, it had offended him by being so annoyingly large. The rock flew through the air and hit a tree, before falling to the ground.

This cheered Knuckles up considerably, and he began to think about what Sonic was doing that was so vitally important.

Tails had said that the best way to try and find them was to do some research on Rouge's background. It was beyond obvious (to those who knew the girls well) that Amy had gone with Rouge after her argument with Sonic. And- or so Tails said- Rouge would probably go somewhere she knew well, so as to give them both some comfort. And so, that resulted in Tails doing some research on possible places Rouge may have gone, based on her history. He had been checking her pages on social networking sites, as well as going through old files in the Town Hall for any information on her family. It was only when Tails started talking about Rouge's sister that Knuckles realised just how little he actually knew about the silver bat.

After finding out about this mysterious sister of Rouge's, Tails had then begun a thorough investigation into her and her places of residence. That was what he was doing right at that moment, and the reason why Knuckles was prowling around outside, waiting for a time when they would pinpoint a location that he and Sonic could then travel to, in the hope that they could find Rouge and Amy there. If not, then they were going to hunt out this sister, and ask her more about Rouge and if she knew anything about her current whereabouts. After that, they were back on the road, back to searching.

Knuckles knew that this search had the potential to be very long-winded and tedious.

And yet he was still going to go through with it.

All for the silver bat.

He had to admit that he liked her more than he'd ever liked anything, even fighting. Naturally, he'd never actually tell anyone that, because they'd probably laugh him into shame. Even Cream would. Well, she'd laugh. A little.

Knuckles still couldn't shake the feeling of...wholeness he felt whenever he thought of Rouge. She'd pretty much gone and changed Knuckles' life, and yet no one noticed much difference in his attitude. Except Sonic, but that was only because he was going through the same thing. Other than that, Knuckles had managed to conceal all traces of the madness that was threatening to take him over.

He knew he had to find Rouge. Soon.

Or at least have some kind of lead to go on.

They'd already tried calling Amy's mobile phone, but it was always switched off. Knuckles suspected that she'd blacklisted every number in her mobile that linked her back to Sonic, so that they had to work to find her. Rouge had actually gone even further, because she'd changed her number completely. Knuckles had tried calling her (using Cream's phone), and some strange girl had answered, asking him if he was trying to tell her a secret code when he kept asking for Rouge.

That attempt had fallen down straight away, so they'd gone to the traditional, detective ways of finding people.

Unfortunately, Knuckles wasn't much of a detective. More of a bodyguard or one of those strong henchmen that throw people through walls.

Overall, the situation was starting to take its effect on Knuckles' sanity. It was only his affection for Rouge that had carried him this far.

And it always would.

XXX

Sonic was trying really hard to find Amy. He'd actually done some research. RESEARCH! Sonic the Hedgehog did not do _research._

Until Amy Rose had walked out of his life.

At first, the whole 'Amy's gone' thing had been pleasing to the blue hedgehog. He'd been happy that the obsessive girl had gone, so that she would never bother him again. She had really been starting to bother him.

So Sonic had been pleased that she had gone. But then, he began to miss things about her. Like her positive attitude, her cheery manner, her optimistic way of life. He missed everything about her.

Which explained why he was doing research. He had to find Amy and apologise. Make her see that he was truly sorry for messing about with her feelings, and beg her to come back. He knew _that _conversation would have to take place when Rouge was not around, because practically everyone bent to Rouge's will when she really tried to be forceful. Amy was no exception.

And Sonic was not wasting his time doing research to have it all ruined because of Rouge. He wasn't going to let anything stand in his way of getting Amy back. That wasn't in his nature.

Sonic sighed, walking past Tails to get to the computer. He'd been reading up on information that might prove useful in finding the girls. Tails was handling the research on this 'Roxanne', the mysterious sister of Rouge. Cream was trying to get in touch with Rouge's mother, just in case she knew anything. Sonic was planning out the actual journey, seeing as he went away on long trips quite frequently, because of a certain egg-obsessed man *cough* Eggman *cough*.

Sonic glanced out of a window and saw Knuckles pacing, looking very annoyed. Sonic sighed, yet again. Knuckles wasn't good with research, so he was pacing to try and shake off some of his anxiety. Sonic felt bad for his friend, because he knew that Knuckles had received a big shock when he found out just how...emotional he could be.

The blue hedgehog changed course, heading for the bid double doors that led outside. He hated seeing Knuckles so...tense.

"Hey buddy," Sonic called, and Knuckles turned to the sound of his voice, "You okay?"

Knuckles sat down on a rock and sighed. "Not really."

Sonic sat down next to him. "I know what you mean. Thinking about important stuff...it's hard isn't it?"

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "You can say that again."

Sonic laughed. "This is why we don't think. It's easier to act."

Knuckles smiled faintly. "Yeah. But it's like you said...this is really important. I don't wanna screw up."

"That would suck." Sonic agreed.

"Especially after all the hard work and the waiting." Knuckles continued, before shooting Sonic a sly look. "How long is it gonna be now?"

Sonic frowned. "I don't know. I think we're getting there, because Tails has been getting more and more excited, meaning he's close to a location."

Knuckles pounded a fist into his other hand. "Good. I want to get moving."

"Same here. It makes me edgy...they could have moved on by now...or they could while we're travelling...I just want to get to them soon."

Knuckles rested a hand on Sonic's shoulder in a brotherly way. "It'll be okay."

Sonic nodded, just as Tails came running out of the house, Cream close behind him. Sonic and Knuckles looked up in surprise.

"I...I've...found...it!" Tails panted, his excitement visible through his exhaustion. Cream patted his back worriedly.

Sonic and Knuckles jumped up.

"Seriously?" Sonic asked. Tails nodded.

"Where?" Knuckles demanded.

"It's this city called Haverly. Roxanne lives there, in a club, which we thought Rouge would go to."

"How do we get there?" Sonic asked in a strained tone.

"Cream has a map, so-"

Knuckles snatched the map from Cream and Sonic raced inside, grabbing a bag with some water and food in it. The two then turned around and started running, while Cream just stared after them, gobsmacked. Tails whacked a palm to his forehead.

"Good luck!" He called.

Sonic and Knuckles ran on, heading for the train station. Finally, a place for them to head to...

They could almost see the girls in front of them as they ran, their planning over, only the journey separating them from the ones they loved.

**Okay, that ending sucked. It was crap. I know it was.**

**It was also kinda short, so sorry about that! And if you're wondering why they found out the place where the girls were so quickly, it's because I wanted to get to the meeting part soon and also because I couldn't be bothered to drag it on by writing about loads of different places that they visited. So that's why.**

**Hopefully chapter 7 will be up soon, because it's the Easter Holidays now and I'll have more time. I think.**

**XBlazingVampire5X**


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